. >> governor clinton you have one minute >> schieffer: public television's jim lehrer is the dean of debate moderators. he's been at it for 24 years. he's put more questions to more candidates than any of us. >> i've always thought that the vote for the presidency was different than any other vote we cast. the presidency, it seems to me, comes down to who do we feel most comfortable with in times of crisis. >> exactly right. bob gates, the former defense secretary, he said temperament. there's such a thing as presidential temperament. you can smell it. you can feel it. it's there. and some people have it. some people don't. >> schieffer: considering the importance we place on them, it's hard to believe that presidential debates are fairly new to american politics. >> the candidates need to no introduction. the republican candidate vice president richard m. nixon and the democratic candidate senator john f. kennedy >> reporter: they began just 52 years ago on september 26, 1960. >> i think mr. nixon is an effective leader of his party. i hope he would grant me the same >> schieffer: s